Behind closed doors

The scandal over Bill English’s comments at the National Party conference has not only overshadowed Key’s purposely vague conference announcements, it has derailed National’s entire election strategy.

The audio is damning. Clearly and unequivocally, we have National’s Deputy Leader saying National will ‘eventually’ (possibly within a first term) sell Kiwibank. English not only says National will sell Kiwibank, he says they will ‘sort out’ Working for Families but won’t seek a public mandate to do so. They won’t go into the election campaigning on changes to WFF because “the last thing we want is to spend the entire election campaign with families of four on the TV saying Mr Key took our money away”. He acknowledges that some National supporters are “antsy” about National publicly supporting those policies while opposing them in private but “it’s working”. His attitude to “the punters” and the simplistic picture they have of “that nice Mr Key” is also appalling.

So, there we have it: the second-most senior National MP, behind closed doors, among friends, out of the public eye, revealing not only a secret agenda to privatise a state asset but also to change a major source of income for working families, and frankly acknowledging that National is trying to sell Kiwis on a pleasant facade (“that nice Mr Key”), while hiding their real plan.

It is scandalous that what National tells you in public and what they say behind closed doors are such very different things – but, thanks to this recording, they can’t deny their secret agenda any more.

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65 comments on “Behind closed doors”

They’re on record as saying no sales of SOEs during the first term, if they want to sell after that then the public can vote them out after term one if they don’t like it.

In terms of WFF, pretty much depends on the tax package as to how this will be received, seems to be pretty smart politics to me to take it off the agenda for this election and then dismantle it latter during the term as part of the overall tax package – once again the public will run the numbers and see which option they prefer, Labour or National.

Those pictures of yourself and colleagues on another blog are a bit sad – you need to enjoy yourself and find something outside of politics my friend, there’s a lot more to life than politics, thank God

If you achieve the same outcome of WFF by tax cuts what’s the issue, from my understanding it’s no change to WFF for at least the next 12- 18 months so people will have the chance to weigh up potential changes versus the tax cuts they will receive.

I thought you at least looked quite dapper in the pictures not pornographic at all – but surely there’s better ways to spend a weekend, you could have come up to Auckland and watched the Rugby.

The issue is National saying whatever they need to say in public to get elected – i.e. adopting popular Labour policies – while planning to do whatever they like in government. They will mess with Working for Families, privatise KiwiBank, and who knows what else.

The issue in short is National lying to the public, and the nature of National’s true agenda.

No they are not r0b. National said they were not going to sell assets within the first term. Did they say anything after that? No. It’s not deceiving at all, nor is it a lie. I hope they do mess with WFF eventually. I don’t really care about kiwibank as I don’t use it. I don’t see what the fuss is about with that bank to be honest. It’s been proven on a number of times that’s it’s not much better than other banks.

We’ve come to know you as a reasonable sort of bloke, and while I often disagree with you, I can also usually see that where you are coming from is consistent and principled by your own lights. On more than one occasion we’ve come perilously close to consensus on some issues.

To me John Key epitomises exactly what he is; a sharp corporate suit who did whatever it took to win. I’ve met his type many times, all smiles and soothing meaningless phrases, only afterwards you realise he was shafting you.

So just how comfortable are you with this National Party under his leadership? At every point they make strenuous efforts to hide or minimise their actual agenda. Why is it that they say one thing in public and another in private? Why is it that Key will say “no borrowing to fund tax cuts’ and then annnounce increased borrowing the very next day? Why is it that National is treating the electorate with contempt by refusing to detail policy? Why is that they announce ‘tax cuts’, but no numbers? Why is it that they say ‘no asset sales’ but then prevaricate with ‘not in our first term’.

Either they believe in their policies and are proud of them, or they are not. What conceivable reason do they have for all the chicanery?

OK I accept that the polls are right and the ‘punters’ love JK’s nice smile; but you and I are political junkies, and we both KNOW that behind the smile is an agenda that National is covering up and lying about.

A prediction. This will gain little traction in the news. Labour and its agents will drag this out for weeks with the standard creating no less than 10 threads on it.

Nothing has changed here. No asset sales in the first term. After that, you go back to the people again (its called an election) with your new plans. If they like you, they vote for you and you carry out your plans.

They are not saying two different things. They have said, we will not sell SOE within the first term. Was anything detailed after that? No. I will ask this again. How is this saying two different things?

Absolutely. The media are already being very careful to avoid any real hits on National, and have been for several years now. Oh they do put up a few token slaps with the proverbial wet-bus ticket now and then… but nothing that might cause any real harm.

So yes you are perfectly correct, it will go right down the memory hole.

Personally, sell the bank. Why should a govt. own a bank?!!?!

And why should it not? It owns the Reserve Bank after all. Plenty of countries have govt owned banks.

And some weeks ago I was speculating about National’s plan to sell Kiwibank. The interesting question would be, “Who would buy it?”.

One possibility of course would be ANZ National, on whose Board of Directors sits one Dr Don Brash. After all they got PostBank last time around, so they might have an appetite for it.

Nothing has changed here. No asset sales in the first term.

Why? If National really believed in asset sales, why wait? If they genuinely thought that it was the best thing for New Zealand, and that they would have a mandate from the public for it, why the delay? What is so magical about ‘not in our first term’?

There is one likely answer of course, but I wonder if you can work it out for yourself.

Are you guys going to show the same moral outrage about the SECRET recording of a PRIVATE converstaion that you showed over the recording of Mike Williams’s comments in a forum attended by hundred of delegates?

Inv2, I don’t recall being outraged at the secret recording of Mike Williams. It’s a fair cop if you’re a politican – what you say behind closed doors should be consistent with what you tell the public.

I think National should put Kiwibank up for sale. Not as a ‘winner takes all’ private banking bid, but as a listed company on the stock exchange. Offer first preference to legitimate ‘Mum and Dad’ investors, and you would have a huge vote winner.

Well I don’t know if you are addressing me or not, but there was no moral outrage from me over the recording of MW.

To me it was clear that Williams had a short-term lapse of judgement that when it was brought to his attention, was promptly corrected. Embarrasing yes, mistakes always are.

But this recording of English is not a lapse of judgement nor a mistake. He clearly means exactly what he is saying, and I would be very surprised if he resiled from it.

So far National has been using the phrase ‘no asset sales in our first term’ as a way of ducking the the issue. It left unanswered the real question, what assets WOULD you eventually sell given the chance?

And finally we have at least one answer, but not one English was willing to say in public.

Look it is pretty simple really. When an interviewer asks the question,”What State assets do you plan on selling?”, a perfectly valid answer would be, “None in our first term, but after that we do expect to sell Kiwibank given the opportunity.”

But that is not the answer we are getting is it?

It’s called ‘lying by ommission’. Why do you think we would be taken by it?

Hasn’t it already been commented that National intend to have govt/private partnership management put in place? ie A ‘soft’ privatisation in the first term.

And if wff is going to messed with in the first term, then where is the election that would allow people to weigh up the proposals and vote in a different govt?

And if (when) JK is going to resign if (when)he goes back on Super commitments, what asset or govt programme, recently opened up to be a private business cash cow is he going to become a board member for?

they all at it. in the confusion of he said they said there are the calls to sell Kiwibank. one of the real thorns in the tories side. they said it could not would not work but it does. what else are they saying as articles of faith that are really patent lies?

I tried to switch to Kiwibank. Really, I did. Support the lil man, go kiwi etc.
But what a PITA. I got declined for a credit card, mortgage and even a cheque account “as you haven’t been in your current job for more than 6 months” – never mind my previous job was 6 years…
Poor credit history – eh? I’ve got a perfectly clean track record – “yes, but you have a lot of credit enquiries” FFS, I worked in a bank for 6 years, of course I’ve got a lot of CQs.
As for no cheque account? – you don’t keep any money in your current cheque account. No, cos I use my credit card for everything and pay no interest.

Needless to say, Im with NBNZ – infused, I find them a lot better than ANZ. Might be because I have a direct line to one person I deal with consistently?

As for Aussie banks owning NZ Banks – nothing to stop mum and dad investors from plowing their money into ANZ, NBNZ, ASB (though at 40$ a share, CBA is a bit costly) and even NAB (for BNZ)
Bank shares are a steal by the way. Most are now around $15. What a bargain.
As for the real topic – sell Kiwibank? Well, whoever buys it certainly needs to look at the principle behind KB’s operational model. It’s certainly vastly different to any bank I’ve worked in.

Bill – no if/when about JKs resignation. SP’s post a while back on here about Keys drunken Matterhorn night with Espiner and Garner made it into that social epitome of all that is well and good in NZ – Bridget Saunders “About Town” blog.

As far as SP is concerned, it is a scandal that the National Party is being consistent with its policy.

There is a clear policy that states no asset sales in the first term.

That is a policy by which the Nats should rightfully be judged. At no stage has any asset sale beyond that been ruled out or in. There was always a real possibility of asset sales in a second term which English’s comments simply confirm.

As for Kiwibank, I don’t notice any comments about the last time the Govt owned a bank and the bailout of BNZ.

Don’t confuse the Reserve Bank with a trading bank either – they are completely different beasts.

Daveski. Yeah, you’re right, last time a government privatised a publicly owned bank it was a disaster – the private owners starting runing it into the ground immediately and it needed a taxpayer bailout to stop a collapse that would have brought down the domestic financial system…

Daveski. National has never said they would sell Kiwibank, they have been going around promising no sales in a first term and refusing to comment on sales thereafter on the grounds that they don’t plan that far ahead… now, behind closed doors, we’ve got English saying they already plan to sell Kiwibank.

Government Private partnerships great idea!! Refreshing instead of coming from THE STATE MUST CONTROL EVERYTHING.
It goes without saying that the state doesn’t have the best business brains in the world and should be utilising private partnerships in some areas. Otherwise there is no competition and we never get better at what we do we get left behind as we are to internalised living in our own little vacuum. So good on the Nats for putting it on the table. Only the hard line Commies Will Be against it

Rob mate you’re always quick to applaud Crosby-Textor’s game plan. Do you think they told English to lie and say he never said it, then have a cry about being held to account for what he said, followed by saying he doesn’t remember it?

Being their no.1 cheerleader and groupie, Rob, you must feel a bit let down, they’ve handled this one terribly. Maybe Key gets all the attention from them; English could do with a hand at the moment.

While I’m at it, do you think they were stupid to set Key up for such a fall? I mean to come up with a joke of a line like “hermetically sealed” tax cuts, and to hope we’re all too stupid to see that borrowing for infrastructure is the same as borrowing for tax cuts? Not money well spent there, you must say. You must feel heartbroken and distraught over all this. Even if you fell for that last line, I assure you plenty of others can see through it.

“Refreshing instead of coming from THE STATE MUST CONTROL EVERYTHING.”

Rob, the state doesn’t need to control everything. No one actually thinks that. In case you haven’t noticed, the other banks aren’t very happy about Kiwibank. The reason for this would be, oh, I don’t know, maybe the competition from Kiwibank…

Only a blinded Tory will be against keeping kiwibank for ideological reasons. I think you’ll find a lot more than ‘hard line commies’ will be against National’s unofficial policy, why do you think they made that pledge in the first place? Because people want everything sold? Ahh, somehow doubt it Rob.

Jasper: I should have clarified. My business is with ANZ my personal is with NB.

I have my own business banker at ANZ and at NB. I just find ANZ easier to deal with as I am not dealing with someone at the branch. My calls go to Auckland. Where as my NB account manager is at the branch and pretty hard to deal with.

It’s a biased view though since one is a business, the other a personal account.

I did have a business account with ASB 5 years ago. What a disaster that was.

To the topic, I read the full transcript. Still don’t see anything. The only out of place comment was about Key.

Where;s the evidence the main banks are concerned about Kiwibank? Have their revenues and profits been damaged by KB? Hardly. It and TSB have less than 3% of the market. It was actually an opportunity to clear out all the accounts that were unprofitable and shove them onto the taxpayer.

How does KB rank in terms of ROI against other banks around the world? If it is lower, who is effectively subsidising the banking of KB customers? Note the debt issues that even large banks are getitng into and how quickly things can go bad to see the risks in banking.

One of the interesting things about KB is that it makes far more than other banks from non interest income (ie bank fees) even after the NZ Post payments subsidy is removed.

But don’t forget r0b in the Kingdom of the Blind, the one-eyed man is King!

The story is undoubtedly embarrassing for the Nats – hence newsworthy – but nothing more. To suggest something of scandalous proportions is laughable but at least consistent with SP’s views.

On a related matter, could someone please point me in the direction of Labour’s policy to renationalise Toll Rail. Given the comments above, it would seem only sensible and reasonable for Labour to have clearly flagged this with $$ values attached.

So its Ok to lie to get into government? Not even a little bit scandalous? Just a teeny bit?

I remember the day I decided to become politically active. Some time after the ’81 election National was called by a reporter on not sticking to the promises made in its election manifesto (manifestos – remember those?). Muldoon replied words to the effect that their manifesto was just a bunch of stuff dreamed up by “advertising men” and had nothing to do with him. Made me kinda angry.

Well, at least you could say that Muldoon was honest about it. Key and the Nats of today are still playing the same game – promise whatever it takes then do whatever you like – but they’re worse than Muldoon, because they’ll never even be honest about it…

So then why is it embarrassing? It there’s “nothing to see here” why the media attention?

1. National’s policy (link supplied if required) is not to sell assets in the first term.

See above on Muldoon – its a politician’s promise. It matters little what they say, and much what they do. Bill has given us clear proof of where their true intentions lie.

Perhaps they’ll dress up asset sales in some kind of complex legal clothing to pretend that they aren’t breaking their promise, but I’ll lay you good odds that break their promise is exactly what they will do.

This is so blown out of proportion I dont know where to start. Firstly its not like Labour have always been honest – before the 2005 election Helen was against a smacking ban – and then we all know what she did. She wasn’t exactly up front when she dumped the privy council either – didnt see that promise on a pledge card.

So English says “we will deal with that in the future” – its a non specific line. The left blogs have gotten a collective hard on because they think its a scandal – no its not.

And I think Labour needs to be very careful here – glass houses and all….

[lprent: Wrong. What was said was that labour wasn’t going to introduce legislation. They didn’t, Sue Bradford of the Greens did.

However it was Labour policy to support this type of legislation because there had been a passed remit years previously (which was why the question was asked). So when Sue’s bill lucked in and got drawn from the ballot, the Labour MP’s were required to support its intent.

So what you have demonstrated is integrity by Labour rather than the reverse. It was in their platform, but not planned on being acted on in that term. They followed principle and the party members wishes and supported the bill when it unexpectably managed to make it into the legislative program. ]

I’ve met Key a couple of times – he is a smart operator to be sure but does I believe have a significant social conscience (more so than many on the right are comfortable with I’m sure)

In response to your other issues let me try answer each individually

How comfortable are you with this National Party under his leadership?
I think he is the best person to be leading National of their current mob

At every point they make strenuous efforts to hide or minimise their actual agenda. Why is it that they say one thing in public and another in private?
I agree completely I think they are scared to say anything that might be misinterpreted or latched on by opposition parties..

Why be scared of saying things such as

…”we’ll keep WFF for 24 months but then it’s gone and will be replaced by Tax cuts which will mean XYZ for families… ”

or “we’ve committed to no sales of SOEs for our first term and we’ll look at their performance during that time with a view to privatising XYZ if we can realise XYZ funds for investment into XYZ.”

Why is it that Key will say “no borrowing to fund tax cuts’ and then annnounce increased borrowing the very next day?

I have no issue with this comment dependant on what the borrowing and investment is for.

Why is it that National is treating the electorate with contempt by refusing to detail policy? Why is that they announce â€˜tax cuts’, but no numbers?

I think that issue is purely driven by politics, they are committed to no detail prior to the election period proper I think we both know that the electorates attention span is slim and that they will rely on the MSM to vet the actual policy and numbers to make it palatable for the general public.

So how the hell do you stomach it?

I think Michael Cullen got it right when he said something along the lines that this year was all about control of the Treasury benches and we’ll get a load of half truths and cak from the Nats and Labour through the entire year – I agree that it’s disappointing and adds to the gross disrespect I, and much of NZ, have for politicians but it is the state of our democracy that we let the twats in National and Labour get away with it and then don’t have any step change in NZ.

The thing that perturbs me the most is that regardless of National or Labour I don’t think we’ll get the step change that NZ needs to push it ahead in the world as both sides are too scared to upset anyone and it’s the parties at the periphery maori, ACT, Greens and Progressive that are left to actually speak their minds.

So in a nutshell do I trust National/Labour to do anything grand that’s going to make much difference in NZ – sadly no.

“lprent: Wrong. What was said was that labour wasn’t going to introduce legislation. They didn’t, Sue Bradford of the Greens did.

However it was Labour policy to support this type of legislation because there had been a passed remit years previously (which was why the question was asked). So when Sue’s bill lucked in and got drawn from the ballot, the Labour MP’s were required to support its intent.

So what you have demonstrated is integrity by Labour rather than the reverse. It was in their platform, but not planned on being acted on in that term. They followed principle and the party members wishes and supported the bill when it unexpectably managed to make it into the legislative program.”

Yeah, and she didn’t really say “I think you’re trying to defy human nature”, either. Really, you can explain it away all you like but that’s business as usual for Labour – waffle on about failed reforms of the previous government while saying one thing and doing entirely another, and the best part is their members lap it up.

Ahhh – what? You can make up a list of things where Labour did things that they didn’t specifically state in an election campaign (like buy back rail). That’s different from saying one thing and doing entirely another.

The incoming Labour government if 1999 was the first in a very long time that kept their election promises. They don’t have a perfect record since then, but in general they have been the most honest government in this respect since before Muldoon.

If you want to see a case study in “saying one thing and doing entirely another” then keep your eyes on the Key government, if there is one. Bill English has already kindly warned us how it is going to go down…

To be fair, Bill English didn’t stab John Key in the back. The knife went straight in the stomach. Working For Families is “complicated”, he patiently explained. You wouldn’t expect someone like John to understand. Luckily, Bill could.

Well well well. Good pieces on TV1 & TV3. This is what NZ needs – to see behind the mask. And to hear from the people (like those KiwiBank customers) who would be affected by the Nat’s true agenda. Because that true agenda is unelectable, and everybody knows it.

The interesting question is whether they are going to get away with it, and sucker us into electing them in 08. If they do we can’t say we weren’t warned…

r0b
Jeez its annoying that we have to have a secretly recorded conversation to “out” what we(the politicaly aware) already knew
At last though the MSM are doing their job even Espiner at stuff says

Don’t underestimate the magnitude of this stuff-up – it’s an enormous blow to National in my opinion. Most people don’t follow politics very carefully, and they will have missed all the nuances and caveats you mention. The only thing the average person will have picked up from this story is that “National plans to sell Kiwi Bank’. It would be more accurate of course to say Bill English would like to sell Kiwi Bank one day, but that’s not what people will take in from what has been said. Labour will seize on this like a drowning man seizes a liferaft. I can’t underestimate the damage this comment could do to National’s popularity. Partially because it’s a covert recording that appears to show a politician saying one thing and doing another. Partially because it also indicates a difference of opinion between English and his leader. But mostly because Kiwi Bank has quickly become a national icon and the vast majority of New Zealanders don’t want it sold. It may not stop them voting National, but it might make them think twice.

Having said that it should fairly obvious to all and sundry that the National Party or more rightly J Key will say anything to get elected
even if it means being “economical with the truth”
I have never any doubt that HC won’t be the next PM
NZ’s do not like being taken for mugs, I suspect

And why would you sell Kiwibank – well that is very plain, Labour is an anti-private government and Kiwibank is a typical bit of Labour having an opportunity to undermine the private sector in some way through government subsidy of a competing enterprise.

RedLogix hasn’t got around to answering my question from yesterday (and he has no obligation to) â€” after he said “plenty of countries” have government-owned banks â€” so I wondered if someone else might be able to help.

Can you list which countries have government-owned banks? (And not the reserve banks in their respective countries.)

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by Daphna Whitmore Every Sunday for the past two months unionists from First Union, with supporters from other unions, have set out to the Ihumatao land protest, put up gazebos and gas barbeques, and cooked food for a few hundred locals and supporters who have come from across the country. ...

Newsroom today has an excellent, in-depth article on pine trees as carbon sinks. The TL;DR is that pine is really good at soaking up carbon, but people prefer far-less efficient native forests instead. Which is understandable, but there's two problems: firstly, we've pissed about so long on this problem that ...

Canan Kaftancioglu is a Turkish politician and member of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). Like most modern politicians, she tweets, and uses the platform to criticise the Turkish government. She has criticised them over the death of a 14-year-old boy who was hit by a tear gas grenade during ...

Hi there, just call me Tim.We face tough problems, and I’d like to help, because there are solutions.An Auckand District Health Board member has nominated me for as a candidate for the ADHB, because her MS-related pain and fatigue is reduced with hemp products from Rotorua. Nothing else helped her. If I ...

The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security has published their report on whether the SIS and GCSB had any complicity in American torture. And its damning. The pull quote is this:The Inquiry found both agencies, but to a much greater degree, the NZSIS, received many intelligence reports obtained from detainees who, ...

Bewhiskered Cassandra? Professor Hugh White’s chilling suggestion, advanced to select collections of academic, military and diplomatic Kiwi experts over the course of the past week, is that the assumptions upon which Australia and New Zealand have built their foreign affairs and defence policies for practically their entire histories – are ...

For most of the time I was a British MP, my party was out of government – these were the Thatcher years, when it was hard for anyone else to get a look-in. As a front-bencher and shadow minister, I became familiar with the strategies required in a parliamentary democracy ...

by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh On August 29th a video in which veteran FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) commander Iván Márquez announced that they had taken up arms again was released. There was no delay in the reaction to it, from longtime Liberal Party figure and former president Uribe, for ...

Air New Zealand couldn’t believe its luck that this seemingly ideal piece of real estate had so far gone entirely unnoticed. Air New Zealand’s search for a site to build a second Auckland Airport may have made a breakthrough this afternoon, after employees scanning Google satellite imagery spotted a huge, ...

No-one on the anti-capitalist left in this country today puts forward a case that Labour is on the side of the working class. There are certainly people who call themselves ‘socialist’ who do, but they are essentially liberals with vested interests in Labourism – often for career reasons. Nevertheless, there ...

When National was in government and fucking over the poor for the benefit of the rich, foodbanks were a growth industry. And now Labour is in charge, nothing has changed: A huge demand for emergency food parcels means the Auckland City Mission is struggling to prepare for the impending arrival ...

Gayford, pictured here on The Project, before things got wildly out of control. A bold public relations move by the Government to encourage parents to vaccinate their children has gone horribly wrong. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern appeared on tonight’s episode of Three’s The Project, where the plan was for her ...

Mr. Whippy’s business model has driven it down a dark road of intimidation. Residents in major centres around the country are becoming disgruntled by the increasingly aggressive actions of purported ice cream company Mr. Whippy, who have taken to parking on people’s front lawns and doorsteps in a desperate attempt ...

Today the government released its Action Plan for Healthy Waterways, aimed at cleaning up our lakes and rivers. Its actually quite good. There will be protection for wetlands, better standards for swimming spots, a requirement for continuous improvement, and better standards for wastewater and stormwater. But most importantly, there's a ...

Today I appeared before the Environment Committee to give an oral submission on the Zero Carbon Bill. Over 1,500 people have asked to appear in person, so they've divided into subcommittees and are off touring the country, giving people a five minute slot each. The other submitters were a mixed ...

Anti-fluoride activists have some wealthy backers – they are erecting billboards misrepresenting the Canadian study on many New Zealand cities – and local authorities are ordering their removal because of their scaremongering. Many New Zealanders ...

So, those who “know best” have again done their worst. While constantly claiming to be the guardians of democracy and the constitution, and respecters of the 2016 referendum result, diehard Remainers (who have never brought themselves to believe that their advice could have been rejected) have striven might and main ...

Following publication of this article, the Ministry has requested it to be noted that this supplied image is not necessarily representative of what the final house will look like, and it “probably won’t be that nice.” As part of today’s long-anticipated reset of the Government’s flagship KiwiBuild policy, Housing Minister ...

Over the next week or two we will be running three synopses of parts of the opening chapter of John Smith’s Imperialism in the 21st Century (New York, Monthly Review Press, 2016). The synopsis and commentary below is written by Phil Duncan. Marx began Capital not with a sweeping historical ...

The State Services Commission and Ombudsman have released another batch of OIA statistics, covering the last six months. Request volumes are up, and the core public service is generally handling them within the legal timeframe, though this may be because they've learned to extend rather than just ignore things. And ...

In 1994, I was editing an ambitious street mag called Planet, from a fabled office at at 309 Karangahape Road. The thirteenth issue of the magazine was published in the winter of that year and its cover embodied a particularly ambitious goal: the end of cannabis prohibition.I wanted to do ...

KiwiBuild was one of the Ardern government's core policies. The government would end the housing crisis and make housing affordable again by building 100,000 new homes. Of course, it didn't work out like that: targets weren't met, the houses they did build were in the wrong place, and the whole ...

As the climate crisis escalates, it is now obvious that we need to radically decarbonise our economy. The good news is that its looking easy and profitable for the energy sector. Wind is already cheaper than fossil fuels, and now solar is too:The levellised cost of solar PV has fallen ...

A Crown Asset? For reasons relating to its own political convenience, the Crown pretends to believe that “No one owns the water.” To say otherwise would re-vivify the promises contained in the Treaty of Waitangi – most particularly those pertaining to the power of the chiefs and their proprietary rights ...

Most people would say, no doubt, that they have a pretty good idea of what money is. They live with the reality of money every day. It is what is needed to buy the necessities of life and to maintain a decent standard of living. You get money, they would ...

The article below was an opinion piece that appeared in the Spring 2019 issue of Te Awa (the NZ Green Party’s newsletter) and on the Greens website. In keeping with their policy of hostility to women defending women’s right to female-only spaces, Green bureaucrats have since removed the opinion piece. ...

Longer term readers may remember my complaining that, as a political scientist, it is burdensome to have non-political scientists wanting to engage me about politics. No layperson would think to approach an astrophysicist and lecture him/her on the finer details of quarks and black holes, but everybody with an opinion ...

Joining The Fight: Stevan Eldred-Grigg's argument for New Zealand staying out of the Second World War fails not only on the hard-headed grounds of preserving the country’s strategic and economic interests; and not just on the soft-hearted grounds of duty and loyalty to the nation that had given New Zealand ...

On September 27, School Strike 4 Climate will be striking for a future to pressure the government for meaningful climate action. This time, they've asked adults to join them. And now, Lincoln University and Victoria University of Wellington have signed on:Victoria University of Wellington has joined Lincoln University in endorsing ...

Another day, another constitutional outrage in the UK. This time, the government is saying that if parliament passes a law to stop Brexit before being prorogued, they may just ignore it:A senior cabinet minister has suggested Boris Johnson could defy legislation to prevent a no-deal Brexit if it is forced ...

Dum-de-doo. Children across New Zealand have known him for generations as the lovable giraffe who tells them to exercise, hydrate and not to shove lit cigarettes up their nostrils. But a world renowned giraffe expert says we shouldn’t be getting attached to Life Education’s Harold the Giraffe, as he is ...

By Mike Hosking. Yesterday morning, I waltzed into work, and as I walked past the drones aggressively typing out news on the computers I’ve repeatedly asked to be moved further away from, I caught a glimpse of the words “climate change”, and noticed that suspiciously they weren’t in condescending quotation ...

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National's Deputy Leader Paula Bennett spent the week claiming a serious cover-up in the Prime Minister's office. She used parliamentary privilege to name three of the Prime Minister's closest advisors who, she says, knew about the sexual assault ...

“The Game Animal Council is concerned that the Government’s second tranche of firearms legislation released today may contain unreasonable provisions that will unfairly impact hunters,” says Game Animal Council Chair Don Hammond. ...

Government policy work on the Carbon Zero bill highlights connections between climate change, carbon sequestration and agriculture. Water quality and allocation are also topical with the release of the Draft Policy Statement for Freshwater Management ...

DairyNZ Chief Executive Dr Tim Mackle is welcoming this afternoon’s announcement that consultation on Essential Freshwater has been extended by two weeks - but is calling on the Minister to go further. ...

Immigration New Zealand could really benefit from an large investment of money, comments Ms June Ranson, chair of the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment (NZAMI) , a leading voice in the immigration sector. “Instead of spending $25m ...

In recent times there has been no shortage of commentary regarding whistleblowers, with the proposed amendments to the Protected Disclosures Act 2000. These are aimed at strengthening the protection available to whistleblowers in New Zealand. That ...

Gun Control NZ strongly welcomes the comprehensive gun law reform bill and calls on all political parties to support it. Gun Control NZ encourages New Zealanders to let their MPs know they support this Bill, submit to the Select Committee, and ...

Federated Farmers agrees with most of the steps by government to protect people from illegal or irresponsible firearms use. But concerns about pest control and the effectiveness of a register remain. ...

Today at Parliament the NZ Drug Foundation released Taking control of cannabis: A model for responsible regulation, a new report that shows how we can take back control of cannabis from organised crime. ...

Smoking kills 5,000 Kiwis each year, so any government policies to help reduce smoking are a good thing. However, the current approaches are not working nor will the proposed limit on flavoured e-liquid that Associate Minister Salesa announced on the news ...

A petition, that promises a significant and dramatic improvement for the New Zealand economy, was handed to Dr Deborah Russell, the MP for New Lynn today. The petition, signed by over 5,000 New Zealanders addresses our crippling level of debt as well ...

The New Zealand Medical Association welcomes the announcement of an Initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission. We look forward to working with the newly appointed Chair Hayden Wano and the Commission. “It is vital that the steps to mental health ...

For anyone who even randomly follows the news will know that Hong Kong has been embroiled in demonstrations for months. These sometimes bloody demonstrations initially started as a result of a proposed Extradition Bill whereby there would be special ...

The release yesterday of Port Otago’s financial result for 2019, outlining a 12% increase and profits, including the news that the Chief Executive had received a $100,000 pay increase taking his remuneration to between $610,000-620,000, is like ...

“ I continue to be amazed at the incompetence of this Government when it comes to suicide prevention and mental health. Not only is this Government about to appoint a regional coroner who has a history of under reporting suicides amongst children ...

The Far North District Council (FNDC) and the Whangarei District Council (WDC) have lodged a joint appeal against the Northland Regional Council’s (NRC) omission of precautionary rules in its plan. [1] ...

The Chairman of the Authority, Judge Colin Doherty, has agreed to assist the Hong Kong Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) as a member of an international panel to provide high level advice to the IPCC in relation to its proposed "Thematic ...

“Putting families into motels is a temporary fix for desperate situations, rather than a sustainable solution to problems of poverty and homelessness,” says Scott Figenshow, Chief Executive of Community Housing Aotearoa. He was commenting on media ...

The New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPsS) says the current partial strike by 600 psychologists working in district health boards is a sign that temporary fixes to ongoing workforce shortages in the profession are not working. ...

New Zealand’s contribution to military operations in Malaya and Malaysia from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s will be commemorated in a national service held at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park at 11.00am on Monday 16 September. ...

The resignation of the President of the Labour Party over the sex pest allegations was inevitable. It was inevitable because of his appalling handling of the situation so far; and, because in situations like this where there has to be a “fall guy” ...

Yesterday Hon Grant Robertson Minister of Finance issued a welcome ‘clear directive’ in the press to ensure every Government considers the wellbeing of New Zealanders when creating future budgets . ...

The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa has written to Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters today urging that New Zealand condemn the Israeli Prime Minister’s planned annexation of vast tracts of the occupied West Bank of Palestine. ...

Today Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence (NPM) releases its next Te Arotahi paper calling on government to pay even closer attention to the issues of whānau and whakapapa within the criminal justice system. ...

“Technology adoption supports higher productivity growth, higher income growth and increased resources to pay for the things New Zealanders’ value. But the main problem facing New Zealand today isn’t too much technology, it’s not enough,” ...

Federated Farmers is asking nicely - please can the Government immediately extend the timeframe of the Essential Freshwater consultation so we can find a pathway forward that provides for both the health of the water, the health of people and the health ...

Youthline applauds the Government’s commitment to boosting mental health and addiction programmes and its intention to establish a Suicide Prevention Office but we urge swifter action in relation to implementing the programmes announced in the last budget ...

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An Auckland mayoral candidate has broken the internet* by announcing a plan for a monorail around the central city. Who is Craig Lord, and is he serious? Alex Braae spoke to him shortly after his campaign launch to find out.The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The SpinoffMembers. ...

Antibiotics are becoming increasingly less effective, so what treatments can we use when the drugs stop working? With help from plant extracts, award-winning company HerbScience is set to breathe new life into how we treat bacterial infections.When Cynthia Hunefeld was just 10 years old, her father was hospitalised with a ...

For some, it symbolises the very backbone of New Zealand’s food culture. But can Kiwi onion dip survive after the factory that makes reduced cream is shut down?The Australian factory that makes Nestlé reduced cream, an integral ingredient in Kiwi onion dip, is shutting down, casting a shadow over the ...

Every year Matariki X brings Māori innovators and entrepreneurs together to share their experiences and inspire one another. Callaghan Innovation’s Vinnie Campbell says the Māori economy’s biggest strengths have nothing to do with money.This story was funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The ...

Today marks the start of Covering Climate Now. To launch the week, the New Zealand climate change minister, James Shaw, writes an open letter to participants in the School Strike 4 Climate ahead of their day of action later this month.The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is thanks to ...

National’s new agriculture spokesperson finds himself in one of the party’s most important portfolios, at a time of dramatically increasing tensions in the sector. Will Todd Muller, a man regularly mentioned as a future leader contender, find common ground?Todd Muller’s obsession with politics began with an American encyclopaedia, which his ...

Miss June’s Bad Luck Party was recorded literally between hospital shifts, and their summer schedule includes both festival dates and their frontwoman’s graduation from medical school. We sat down with the band to ask just how, exactly, they’ve survived so far.The first years of life for Tāmaki Makaurau pop-punk quartet ...

The following four short extracts are from A City Possessed: The Christchurch Child Crèche Case by Lynley Hood, which has just been reprinted by Otago University Press. The book was first published in 2001 and won the Montana Medal for Non-Fiction at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards. The controversial ...

Hamilton councillors have drawn headlines this year for being anti-science and insensitive to terror victims. At a mayoral debate on Wednesday, there were signs a campaign for change is gathering force.The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The SpinoffMembers. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism click ...

The Spinoff editor writes on the story that has engulfed NZ politics this week.One of the very few positive things to come out of a hideous week in New Zealand politics has been the sieving-out of the blinkered, partisan zealots. On one side, those who are ready to conjure up ...

In June 2018, Rawinia Higgins was appointed chairperson of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori. She’s the first female and the first te reo Māori second-language speaker to hold the role, and during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, she sat down with The Spinoff to talk about her ...

Compulsory New Zealand history in schools is an exciting opportunity but it’s crucial we’re critical of the stories we tell ourselves, writes Dr Aroha Harris. History is not simply an assemblage of facts and evidence. History is also the interrogation of those things.This may be unsettling news for some, including the ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Senior Research Fellow, Moral philosophy, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Law Futures Centre, Griffith University Argument is everywhere. From the kitchen table to the boardroom to the highest echelons of power, we all use argument to persuade, investigate new ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alastair Blanshard, Paul Eliadis Chair of Classics and Ancient History Deputy Head of School, The University of Queensland Comedy often succeeds where tragedy fails. Fangirls, the pop musical which premiered on Thursday night in Brisbane, is not the first drama to explore ...

On the 10th anniversary of the infamous “Imma let you finish” episode, Josie Adams reflects on what this moment revealed about both Taylor Swift and Kanye West.Cast your mind back a decade: 2009 DJ Earworm was still good, Barack Obama was sworn in as president of the US, Israeli ground ...

Analysis - An astounding week in politics has left Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern carrying responsibility for sorting out the mess the Labour Party is in over the sexual assault allegation, writes Peter Wilson. ...

Police Minister Stuart Nash has confirmed details of a new bill that will create a registry of guns, and new offences and penalties for illegal manufacture, trafficking or changing markings of firearms. ...

Charli XCX has just released her latest album, Charli. The futuristic musician is always looking ahead, and so are her fans. We’ve paired each star sign with their perfect Charli XCX song.Charli XCX burst onto the scene in 2012, when she co-wrote and performed electro-pop headbanger ‘I Love It’ with ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benedict Sheehy, Associate professor, University of Canberra British health-care conglomerate Bupa runs more nursing homes in Australia than anyone else. We now know its record in meeting basic standards of care is also worse than any other provider. This is more than ...

Fable is best remembered for the disastrous, over-the-top promises made by its designer Peter Molyneux. But maybe, Adam Goodall argues, we’re remembering it all wrong.“There is something I have to say. And I have to say it because I love making games.” So opens an October 2004 post on the ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Senior Research Fellow, Moral philosophy, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Law Futures Centre, Griffith University Argument is everywhere. From the kitchen table to the boardroom to the highest echelons of power, we all use argument to persuade, investigate new ...

The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Native Son: The Writer’s Memoir by Witi Ihimaera (Penguin Random House, $40)Stand by for a review from ...

Tara Ward delved into Māori TV’s impressive OnDemand catalogue and found some of the best TV taonga for your viewing pleasure. From lifestyle shows to documentaries, from current affairs to reality TV, Māori TV has an abundance of quality telly that celebrates and acknowledges the people, places and cultures of ...

A new poem by London-based poet Morgan Bach.Turning, hurtlingI march diligently to sunshine in the parkeverything bathed and turning golden.A woman breathes fire by the folly framing herlike a personal door to hell. Conkers are pitched from high boughsto break and give up fruit, a spire emergent from the baring ...

Simon Day learns about the history and power of Chinese five-spice. Both the origins of Chinese five-spice and the flavour itself are a little mysterious. My internet investigations revealed the powder’s name could be in reference to the use of five spices (although this often grows to six or seven), or ...

Revelations around alleged sexual assault by a Labour staffer and the party inquiry into his behaviour have dominated the week. Alex Casey and Mihi Forbes join Gone By Lunchtime to survey the damage.Alex Casey, author of the Spinoff feature published on Monday, “A Labour volunteer alleged a violent sexual assault ...

In the fourth episode of Actually Interesting, The Spinoff’s monthly podcast exploring the effect AI has on our lives, Russell Brown speaks to Ana Arriola, general manager and partner at Microsoft AI and Research, about ethics and transparency in tech.Subscribe to Actually Interesting via iTunes or listen on the player below.To download this ...

Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Labour Party sexual assault allegations Andrea Vance (Stuff): How to make the Labour abuse scandal ...

Toi Kai Rākau Iti, who is running in the Eastern Bay of Plenty Kohi Māori constituency, encounters an unlikely channel of youth engagement.In te ao Māori you’re always looking for tohu, or symbols. They guide you through uncertain territory and help you make sense of the world. The arrival of ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tomer Ventura, Senior Lecturer, School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast The creation of all-male or all-female groups of animals, known as monosex populations, has become a potentially useful approach in aquaculture and livestock rearing. Researchers and those in ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Holmes, Director, Climate Change Communication Research Hub, Monash University Predictably, both major political parties are resisting calls this week for a parliamentary conscience vote to declare a climate emergency in Australia. The resistance is unsurprising because both the Coalition and Labor ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Shi, Lecturer, Graduate School of Business and Law, RMIT University If the Religious Discrimination Bill passes into law, women may find it harder to get an abortion. That’s because health practitioners with an objection to performing the procedure on religious grounds ...